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川 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
川Chuānabbr. for Sichuan Province 四川[Sì chuān] in southwest Chinaj, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
川Chuānriverj, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
川Chuāncreekj, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
川Chuānplainj, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
川Chuānan area of level countryj, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
川Chuānstream, riverj, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
川Chuānabbr. for Sichuan Province 四川[Si4 chuan1] in southwest Chinaunknown, 3 strokes, radical 川, rank #6000, Hard
Chuān(Chuan1) T1
  1. 1abbr. for Sichuan Province 四川[Sì chuān] in southwest China
  2. 2river
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

川Chuān(Chuan1)

The character 川 (chuān) primarily means 'river' or 'creek' and can also refer to plains or areas of level country. It is commonly used to denote waterways and is an abbreviation for Sichuan Province, known for its rich geography and culture centered around rivers.

Strokes3Radical川Frequency#6000DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, rivers are significant not only for their geographical importance but also for their symbolic meanings in poetry and art. Sichuan, associated with the character 川, is famous for its hotpot and rich culinary traditions, heavily influenced by its river systems.

Memory Tip

Imagine a flowing river (川) that carves through the land. Visualize the water moving smoothly, which helps you remember that 'chuān' means river. The character looks like three flowing streams converging, reinforcing its meaning.

Meanings of 川

Chuān(Chuan1)
1abbr. for Sichuan Province 四川[Sì chuān] in southwest China
2river
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 川

川Simplified
3Strokes
川Radical
简称abbreviation (abbr.)Part of Speech
#6000Frequency Rank

Podcast: 川

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Podcast: 川

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 川

Quick Contrast

河 (hé) - use 河 when specifically referring to a river, while 川 can denote broader waterways or plains.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a flowing river (川) that carves through the land. Visualize the water moving smoothly, which helps you remember that 'chuān' means river. The character looks like three flowing streams converging, reinforcing its meaning.

Usage Notes

川 is often used in geographical contexts, but it can also appear in idiomatic expressions related to water. Be cautious with its tone; it is pronounced with a first tone (high and level). Avoid confusing it with other characters like '山' (mountain) which has a different meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 川 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with other words related to nature and geography at this level, such as '河' (he, river) and '湖' (hu, lake). Students should focus on pronunciation and context to differentiate these terms.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, rivers are significant not only for their geographical importance but also for their symbolic meanings in poetry and art. Sichuan, associated with the character 川, is famous for its hotpot and rich culinary traditions, heavily influenced by its river systems.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 川 with 河 (he), leading to incorrect phrases like '我住在川' (I live by the river) instead of '我住在河边' (I live by the riverbank). Ensure you use the correct character based on the size of the water body.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 川

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Etymology of 川

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a river.

Memory Hint

A river's flow; compare 巛

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 川?

Decomposition of 川

IDS Structure⿲丿丨丨
川Full Character
=
丿pie3
left
丨gun3
middle
丨gun3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 川?

Write 川

川

Practice writing 川 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 川

川 carries 7 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我的故乡伊利诺伊州一马平____。

My home state of Illinois is flat as a pancake.

Example Sentences for 川 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我的故乡伊利诺伊州一马平川。

wǒ de gù xiāng yī lì nuò yī zhōu yī mǎ píng chuān。

My home state of Illinois is flat as a pancake.
2
他在川流不息的人群中东躲西闪。

tā zài chuān liú bù xī de rén qún zhōng dōng duǒ xī shǎn。

He dodged amongst the seething crowds of men.
3
苑川河断层属金城关断层东延部分.

yuàn chuān hé duàn céng shǔ jīn chéng guān duàn céng dōng yán bù fēn.

Court River fault is the fault Chengguan extension of the East.
4
分三大方言: 湘西 、 黔东和川黔滇.

fēn sān dà fāng yán: : xiāng、 xī 、 qián dōng hé chuān.

Three major dialects: western Hunan , eastern Guizhou , and Sichuan , Guizhou and Yunnan.
5
影片结束,沿着东川路回家.

yǐng piàn jié shù, , yán zháo dōng chuān lù huí.

After the movie I walked back home along Dong Chuan Road.
6
百川灌河.

bǎi chuān guàn hé.

All streams flow into the Huanghe River.
7
淄川寨里帅达木器厂是烟台禹河钟表厂定点生产单位.

zī chuān zhài lǐ shuài dá mù qì chǎng shì yān tái yǔ hé zhōng biǎo chǎng dìng diǎn shēng chǎn dān wèi.

Zichuan Zhaili Shuai Woodplant in Yantai Yu sentinel watches plant production units.
8
还有食物也不同! 我听说川菜很辣.

huán yǒu shí wù yě bù tóng! ! wǒ tīng shuō chuān cài hěn.

B : And the food! I hear the cuisine is quite hot.
9
四川菜以麻 、 辣、五香味而著称.

sì chuān cài yǐ má、 、、 là 、 wǔ xiāng wèi ér.

Sichuan cuisine is noted for its tingling, pungent and spicy flavor.
10
B是呀,四川风味是以辣为主. 比其他所有风味都辣.

B B shì, yā , sì chuān fēng wèi shì yǐ là. wéi zhǔ . bǐ qí tā suǒ yǒu fēng.

B Yes. Sichuan food is really spicy. It's hotter than other food.

Cultural Notes for 川

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, rivers are significant not only for their geographical importance but also for their symbolic meanings in poetry and art. Sichuan, associated with the character 川, is famous for its hotpot and rich culinary traditions, heavily influenced by its river systems.

Word Family of 川

Compounds20
州zhou1prefecture
顺shun4to obey
训xun4example
驯xun2tame, obedient, docile
侃kan3upright and honest
卅sa4thirty, thirtieth
氚chuan1tritium
圳zhen4a furrow in a field; a small drainage ditch
夼kuang3depression, hollow, low ground
巟
玔
甽
紃
钏Chuan4bracelet, armlet
杊
汌
訓xun4to teach, to instruct; pattern, example; exegesis
釧chuan4bracelet, armlet
順shun4to submit to, to obey, to go along with
馴xun2tame, obedient, docile
Words Containing This Character16
川Chuānriver
四川Sichuan province (Szechuan) in southwest China, abbr. 川 or 蜀, capital Chengdu 成都
冰川glacier
四川省Sichuan province (Szechuan) in southwest China, abbr. 川[Chuān] or 蜀[Shǔ], capital Chengdu 成都[Chéng​dū]
德川Tokugawa, the ruling clan of Japan from 1550-1850
仁川Incheon Metropolitan City in Gyeonggi Province 京畿道[Jīng​jī​dào], South Korea
中川Nakagawa (Japanese surname and place name)
银川Yinchuan city, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 寧夏回族自治區|宁夏回族自治区銀川
川菜Sichuan or Szechuan cuisine
周小川Zhou Xiaochuan (1948-), PRC banker and politician, governor of People's Bank of China 中國人民銀行|中国人民银行[Zhōng​guó​Rén​mín​Yín​háng] from 2002
川崎Kawasaki (name)
银川市Yinchuan city, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 寧夏回族自治區|宁夏回族自治区[Níng​xià​Huí​zú​Zì​zhì​qū]銀川市
四川大学Sichuan University四川大學
川流不息chuānliúbùxīthe stream flows without stopping (idiom); unending flow
川芎chuanxiong rhizome
河川rivers
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 州 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 川

You can say '这条川很大' (zhè tiáo chuān hěn dà), meaning 'This river is very big.'